NZ Resorts
Hi,
So lots of us have been to NZ, I went just last winter... for my honeymoon!
We did 1 month of the south island, but only 3 ski resorts in this time. My husband has been there before and has skiied at a couple of others too.
We really loved Mt Dobson, a very small private resort. The views were amazing, you can't see any hint of manmade buildings down the mountaint, and it is very high up! I was actually quite scared on the (yes THE only) chairlift as it runs along a crevace in the mountain. It is a long & scary drive up, and really feels like you are on top of the mountain in the wilderness. There aren't many frills with this resort, but thats why we liked it - plus it's a bargain! It has just one shack of a cafe where everyone is trying to squeeze in, it's very quaint. This was the first place we stopped and it was a very easy run (where I was the only one) getting my confidence, and then we headed down the other runs. I really liked the feeling of Mt Dobson, despite running out of petrol on the was up, and being frightened of dying on the way down in our flower-power van.
We also went to Cardrona and Concrete -I mean- Coronet Peak. Despite the joke, I actually loved Coronet, the amazingly wide blue run down the middle was so much fun. But also maybe it was the fact we had a bit of a storm, everyone went home but we waited for that last hour of fresh powder (still falling - low visability) in the now desserted resort! Sitting in the glass walls of the huge cafe with a great view up the mountain is lovely! The ski lesson was great there that I did, however I discovered everyone in the group but me had overestimated their ability lol!
My husband and his family have never had ski lessons, but now we're big belivers in them, although I was the example pupil.
My husband actually was skiing with a new-found buddy in the storm, on the swinging chairs, and as everyone had come inside I was getting worried! He thoroughly enjoyed it, soping wet, lol.
At Cardrona there were actually some good runs, I just wasn't into the "feel" of it as much. We kept doing a long trail round the bottom of the resort, and it wasn't too interesting - and the downhill on the right side I chose was good, I had alot of fun going quite fast. This resort seemed to have many children & families.